CHARNWOOD Athletic Club’s Gemma Steel finished an excellent 18th in the World Cross Country Championships in China.

Tackling the challenging and winding course, Steel and compatriot Rhona Auckland matched each other stride for stride in the last lap to finish as the second and third European athletes in the race.

Prior to the arriving in the Far East, it was eight years since two British women had finished in the top 20 and Steel was delighted to improve on her 31st place finish from Bydgoszcz two years ago.

Steel, the reigning European Cross Country champion told British Athletics: “I’m over the moon especially considering how hard it was out there.

“I did it the hard way, but I did it the way I always do it – hard from the start.

“I gave myself a chance to be there with the lead group but they were just a little bit quick for me.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, I love running on the road but you can’t beat the atmosphere in the team. It gave me a chance to experience the junior side of it because they’re all buzzing from their first GB vest so it’s nice to feed off that excitement.”

Auckland was making her first appearance since winning the European Cross Country U23 title in December admitted that her roommate was crucial to her performance in Guiyang after three months on the sidelines.

“I’m absolutely delighted – it was really good to have Gemma to work off and try and keep her in sight.

“It was also great running with the Chinese athlete Xinyan Zhang as well because the crowd were going mental for her, so we were working off that.

“I look up to Gemma and she’s someone I aspire to be like so to be close to her and learn off her is great.

“I’ve been bugging her with questions all week, so she’s probably glad to get rid of me. It’s given me great deal of confidence – we were the second and third Europeans so it’s good that we can maintain that competitiveness three months later (after the European Cross Country Championships).”